Antonio Costa to visit Cyprus 4 September as EU budget tops agenda

Politics cyprusEuropean UnionTop News Antonio Costa to visit Cyprus 4 September as EU budget tops agenda Christodoulides Costa Nicosia 1 1536x1024 Relevant News Antonio Costa to visit Cyprus 4 September as EU budget tops agenda 25 August 2026 Cyprus extends lifeguard hours, reviews short-term contracts after drownings 25 August 2026 Investigators await forensic clues from shell casings, stolen car in Ayia Napa murder attempt 25 August 2026 Andreas Bimbishis 25 August 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber European Council President António Costa will visit Cyprus on Friday, 4 September, as one stop on a tour of EU member state capitals. Discussions are expected to focus on issues familiar from Cyprus’s own EU presidency earlier this year. The tour, known as the “Tour des Capitales,” began today, 25 August, and runs until 17 September. A day before his Cyprus visit, Costa will be in Athens to meet Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. In Cyprus, Costa will meet President Nikos Christodoulides to discuss the full range of European and regional issues, including progress on the Cyprus problem and EU-Turkey relations. The EU’s next long-term budget tops the agenda According to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), Costa’s contacts this year, as last year, aim to gather the views of EU heads of state and government, with particular emphasis on the bloc’s next multiannual financial framework, feeding into preparations for upcoming European Councils and international summits. Costa said “defence, competitiveness, enlargement and support for Ukraine will be at the centre of my discussions with European leaders” during the upcoming annual tour. “However, the EU’s next multiannual budget is expected to stand out. These contacts offer a vital 360-degree picture of member states’ priorities and expectations, ensuring that the European Council’s work continues to reflect European reality,” he added. In the first week of the tour, Costa is due to meet Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in Bratislava and Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal in Tallinn on 25 August, before travelling to Riga the next day to meet Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs and then to Vilnius to meet Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda. The first week closes on 27 August with a meeting with Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš in Prague. As part of the same tour, Costa was in Kyiv on Monday, where he is due to take part in the Coalition of the Willing summit, representing the EU. He met British Prime Minister Andy Burnham late on Sunday aboard a train the pair shared en route to the Ukrainian capital for the 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence. Cyprus’s geopolitical role highlighted Cyprus’s EU presidency highlighted the country’s particular geopolitical role as a bridge between the European Union and the Middle East and the wider region, the Presidency of the Republic of Cyprus said in a social media post accompanied by video highlights from the presidency. “Cyprus, as an honest broker among the 27 member states, with consistency, credibility and commitment to the common European interest, proved in practice that a state’s size does not determine the role it can play in the European Union,” the Presidency said in the post. The Presidency’s tenure coincided with a period of “unprecedented geopolitical uncertainty” for Europe. It said Cyprus was called on during this time to manage complex issues, promote solutions and contribute to critical decisions among member states. The Presidency added that Cyprus’s tenure brought the country to the centre of European processes, enhancing the credibility and political capital of the Republic of Cyprus and upgrading its standing at European and international level. Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Cyprus extends lifeguard hours, reviews short-term contracts after drownings Investigators await forensic clues from shell casings, stolen car in Ayia Napa murder attempt Homeless man arrested in Larnaca after attacking police officer during welfare check Police investigate speed of motorcyclist killed in Larnaca crash Four masked suspects steal €4,000 from 10 Paphos shops Wind sweeps toddler out to sea on inflatable off Lady’s Mile Yiannis Providakis: “Good cooking starts with a good product” Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.